7 Times to Support Students During College Admission

As an independent educational consultant, your job is to help students with the college application process. Here are seven definite times to step in to assist.

I can see it on my students’ faces every time they appear on Zoom—they smile and try to make small talk, but they’re exhausted. By this time of year, school has kicked into high gear, and  they have homework, sports, jobs, homecoming, and (of course) college applications. As Independent Educational Consultants (IECs), there are many times students need us as they navigate the college admission process. However, I find the seven moments outlined below are turning points in the process for most students. These are the times when it’s critical to listen and be present as an IEC—the defining moments when students need us the most. Here’s my best advice for when to step in to help you support your students.

1. When they feel stuck

At some point, all students feel "stuck" during their college search and application process. Some can't decide where to apply, some get fixated on college costs—but most often, students get stuck when they’re working on admission essays. Somehow the thought of writing something imperfect seems impossible, even though that’s the purpose of a first draft. This is when I remind students that the writing process is messy, and the place you start isn’t where you’ll end up. This is when creating strong relationships with your students pays off. I remind them they’re in a safe place and there’s no judgment. When it comes to essays, I’ve seen it all. I encourage them to get their thoughts down on paper so together we can pull out the best ideas for moving forward. 

Related: Creative College and Career Prep Ideas for Students 

2. When they second-guess themselves

One thing I’ve learned in my 10 years as an IEC is that students will change their minds. They’ll add schools to their list at the last minute. They’ll wonder if they’re pursuing the right major or if they asked the right teacher for a letter of recommendation. They need you the most when the doubt creeps in. The best way to support them is to reaffirm all the work they’ve done. Remind them they made good choices for their college list or that all the volunteering they’ve done and enjoyed on a political campaign means Political Science is a great intended major. I remind them that together, we’ve created a well-thought-out plan for their academic future.

3. When they’re stressed

Applying to college is stressful. I remind my students that they’re human beings and being a senior in high school is a lot. By asking them about their day or remembering they had a big test the last time we spoke, I connect with them on a personal level. From there, I help them prioritize or even postpone some of the goals we had set the week before. We work through each of their struggles one at a time and brainstorm other individuals who can help. My ultimate goal is to help a student break up their responsibilities into smaller, more manageable tasks. This will ease the overwhelming feelings and ultimately help them focus enough to get back on track

Related: How to Reassess Your Workload at Your Breaking Point

4. When they’re waiting on admission decisions

Waiting is sometimes the most challenging part of the college application process. I have a strict rule with my students that they can’t look at their applications again after submitting them. This is another time when doubt creeps in and second-guessing takes over. While they’re waiting on college decisions, take the time to check in and send them encouragement. Turn their focus to applying for scholarships, preparing for interviews, and saying thank you to the individuals who helped them with their college applications. 

5. When they receive bad news

A rejection, whether it’s expected or not, is difficult for everyone. For some students, being denied admission to a college or university may be the first time they’ve heard the word “no.” While the heartbreak can be devastating, students have the difficult task of moving on quickly in this process. Since a decision ultimately needs to be made about colleges they did get accepted to, they can’t let their grieving process linger. I encourage students to focus on their other options to help them regain control over the college process. 

Related: Getting Over a College Rejection Letter 

6. When they need to choose

Similar to being stuck when it comes to essays, some students are paralyzed when it comes time to make a final college decision. I help my students brainstorm all the questions they need to answer to make this choice and where they can find these answers. Once they collect all the information, they can usually move forward. However, if they’re still indecisive, I tell them to pick a university and just say for a day they’re attending that school. They can tell their parents and best friend, but maybe don't make it public just yet. I let them live with the decision for at least 24 hours. This exercise helps students determine where their heart really is: either they’ll feel excited about their "decision" or like they’re mourning an unchosen option. 

7. When it’s time to celebrate

I find it’s just as important to be there for students when it’s time to celebrate as it is when things are difficult. Answer their text when they inform you of good news and express your happiness for them. Attend their graduation parties and send them a note when they finally head off to college. Remember to tell them how proud you are of them—they did all that hard work successfully, and they deserve the praise.

Related: We’re Celebrating National Decision Day With You!

As an IEC, it’s a privilege to be a part of young peoples' lives as they navigate this huge decision-making process. Every year, I watch in awe as my students evolve from lost teenagers to excited young adults ready to take on their next step. As I’m with them through all the ups and downs of the college application process, I know the support I give them will leave a lasting impression—as yours will on your students!

Having trouble supporting students during the pandemic? CollegeXpress is here to help! Check out our article Pandemic Problems: Resources to Share With Students.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Alexandra Adriano

Alexandra Adriano

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2016

I've used CollegeXpress quite a bit as a senior, particularly for colleges and scholarships, so it's been a very big asset in that respect! I would recommend it to anyone looking to pursue a college education, especially seniors! This scholarship will help me achieve my goals in ways I couldn't have before, and I know that there are opportunities like that for everyone on the website and in the magazines!

Casey Kammeyer

Casey Kammeyer

$500 Refer-A-Friend Scholarship Winner

I love the site CollegeXpress; it has been very helpful finding colleges and getting them to send me information. It has also been very, very helpful with finding tons of scholarships. Also, I told many of my friends about it and they love it as well!

Lorena Bacallao

Lorena Bacallao

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress was the foundation of my college search process. Because of CollegeXpress, I was able to make a more informed and confident decision as to where it was best to pursue my higher education. I have recommended this website to fellow peers and for first-generation students like me. It’s a website I will continue to promote because of how simple it was to use and how many opportunities were offered to me at my fingertips!

Farrah Macci

Farrah Macci

High School Class of 2016

CollegeXpress has helped me in many ways. For one, online searches are more organized and refined by filtering scholarships through by my personal and academic interests. Due to this, it has made searching for colleges and scholarships significantly less stressful. As a student, life can already get stressful pretty quickly. For me, it’s been helpful to utilize CollegeXpress since it keeps all of my searches and likes together, so I don’t have to branch out on multiple websites just to explore scholarship options.

Melanie Kajy

Melanie Kajy

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me tremendously during my senior year of high school. I started off using the college search to find more information about the universities I was interested in. Just this tool alone gave me so much information about a particular school. It was my one-stop shop to learn about college. I was able to find information about college tuition, school rank, majors, and so much more that I can't list it all. The college search tool has helped me narrow down which college I want to attend, and it made a stressful process surprisingly not so stressful. I then moved to the scholarship search tool to find scholarships to apply for because I can't afford to pay for tuition myself. The search tool helped me find scholarships that I was eligible for. The tool gave me all the information I could ever need about a particular scholarship that was being offered. The CollegeXpress scholarship search tool is so much better than other tools offered, like the Chegg scholarship search. Thanks to CollegeXpress, I was able to apply to tons of scholarships in a relatively easy way!

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

SUNY Morrisville

Morrisville, NY

Seattle University

Seattle, WA

Emerson College

Boston, MA